The San Francisco 49ers on Sunday didn’t have an open practice, but they were busy on the transaction wire adding depth to bolster their roster following a rash of injuries at running back and defensive end.
San Francisco signed veteran running back Khalil Herbert and defensive end Titus Leo. In a corresponding move they released cornerback Eli Apple and waived/injured undrafted rookie DE Mikail Kamara.
The Herbert addition helps the 49ers RB room which is still without Isaac Guerendo while he recovers from an offseason pectoral injury. Jordan James is also out with a rib fracture and it appeared during Saturday’s session that rookie third-round pick Kaelon Black was dealing with an ailment of some kind per ESPN’s Nick Wagoner.
Herbert has played in 63 games with 13 starts across five NFL seasons with the Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals and New York Jets. He’s rushed 416 times for 1,957 yards and nine touchdowns.
Leo has been less productive as a pro. He was a sixth-round pick of the New York Jets in the 2023 draft. He played in four games for the New England Patriots in 2024 and posted four tackles in what was his only regular season action.
The 49ers will need Leo to soak up a ton of snaps in training camp and the preseason while Nick Bosa, Mykel Williams, Keion White and Romello Height all deal with injuries.
Kamara’s knee injury was also a blow to the team’s DE depth. He was an intriguing undrafted free agent addition who would revert to season-ending IR in San Francisco if he clears waivers.
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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers add RB, DE depth after letting go of veteran CB and rookie DE
Reporting by Kyle Madson, Niners Wire / Niners Wire
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By Kyle Madson, Niners Wire | USA TODAY Network
